HEIA(Q) Home Economics Teacher Excellence Awards
These awards acknowledge members who have consistently demonstrated excellence in teaching Home Economics and/or its related subject areas.
HEIA(Q) Home Economics Teacher Excellence Awards
Each year, HEIA(Q) calls for peer nominations of home economics teachers for the HEIA(Q) Home Economics Teacher Excellence Awards. The recipients since 2015 are as follows:
2025
2024
Stacey Rogers, The Cathedral College
Phoebe Hanau, Moreton Bay College
Renee Adams, Isis District State High School
Melinda Wallace, Indooroopilly State High School
2023
Sue Smith, Clairveaux MacKillop College
2022
Debbie Mawston, Pine Rivers State High School
2021
Kate Moretto
Catherine Stickland, Grace Lutheran College
Terasa Wedley
Jo Wickham, Pine Rivers State High School
2020
No awards were made due to COVID restrictions
2019
Romana Wallace, Mackay North State High School
2018
Michelle Harris, San Sisto College, Brisbane
Kerry Brady, St Patrick’s College, Mackay
Samantha Johnson, Moreton Bay College, Brisbane
Jill Shehab, All Saints Anglican School, Gold Coast
Belinda Ingram, Canterbury College, Waterford
2017
Helen Willmett, St Margaret Mary’s College, Townsville
Kay York, Park Ridge State High School, Brisbane
2016
Jane Greff, Marymount College, Gold Coast
Maria Learmonth, Emmaus College, Rockhampton
2015
No nominations
2014
Chris Capra, St Paul’s School
Karen Cridland, Mackay North State High School
Michelle Harris, San Sisto College
Recipients of the HEIA(Q) 2025 Teacher Excellence Award
The recipients of the HEIA(Q) 2025 Home Economics Teacher Excellence Award was Stacey Rogers from The Cathedral College and Phoebe Hanau of Moreton Bay College.
- Regular presenter at HEIA(Q) conferences
- Long time coordinator of professional development for Rockhampton home economics teachers
- Sessional lecturer at Central Queensland University for their Home Economics course
- Valued contributor to her school in development and implementation of programs that provide opportunities for students to engage in Home Economics contexts.
- Member of HEIA(Q) Committee of Management since 2022, as well as HEIA(Q) Secretary for 2022 – 2023
- Regular presenter at HEIA(Q) conferences and a presenter at this year’s Fashion masterclass
- Contributor to the Fashion syllabus implementations as a member of syllabus writing team as well as supporting colleagues in this space via Facebook and personal communication
- Enhances opportunities for students to explore and celebrate fashion design at MBC through her Fashion Club and Fashion Show initiatives
- Contributes to the broader pastoral focus of the college through her leadership and contributions to the MBC Amnesty group
- Demonstrated creativity and agility in the adaptation of different materials and technologies to broadened the scope of learning opportunities for students
Congratulations Stacey and Phoebe!
HEIA(Q) members are encouraged to nominate fellow members who are practising teachers that have consistently demonstrated excellence in teaching Home Economics and its related subject areas. Such excellence might be demonstrated across a range of activities, including teaching practice, curriculum development, student success, and professional contributions and activities. This is an invaluable opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding work done by home economics practitioners. Home economics teachers contribute much to education in Queensland and this is one way the profession can acknowledge practitioners who excel.
Primary focus should be given to activities relating directly to home economics—for example, Home Economics; Food Technology; Food Studies; Food and Nutrition; Textiles studies; Textiles and fashion; Fashion Studies; Design; and Design studies; but may also include activities relating to, for example, hospitality and early childhood. Nominations must be made on the HEIA(Q) Home Economics Teacher Excellence Awards nomination form and sent to:
Teacher Excellence Awards
Home Economics Institute of Australia (Qld)
PO Box 581
Hamilton Central QLD 4007
or emailed to heiaq@heia.com.au
Guidelines
- Nominees must be financial members of HEIA Inc.
- A member who receives a HEIA(Q) Home Economics Teacher Excellence Award is eligible for renomination three years after receiving their award.
- A maximum of three awards are presented annually. A panel reviews the nominations and decides on the recipients.
- The nomination must address at least two of the three criteria comprehensively but clearly and concisely, and occupy no more than two A4 pages.
- A HEIA member may nominate a colleague or themself.
- The nomination must be seconded by another member or by a school representative such as the principal.
Criteria (at least two of these must be addressed comprehensively)
- Demonstrated ability of the nominee to implement high-quality and/or innovative teaching practice to ensure maximum learning outcomes within the context of Home Economics
- Development of high-quality and/or innovative curricula within a school-based environment—this could include the development of programs that relate to syllabus documents, work programs or a contribution to syllabus development
- Contribution to professional activities by developing, facilitating or being involved in the implementation of professional development opportunities for colleagues.
The HEIA(Q) Home Economics Teacher Excellence Awards are presented at each annual HEIA(Q) state conference. Regional functions may be arranged to celebrate awardees from regional centres if awardees are not able to attend the annual conference